Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor

My name is Clara Carey, with decades professional experiences advocating for children and families. I have my LGPC, work as Child Adolescent Therapist in the Annapolis Office for Columbia Mental Health.

I want to support and assist children and youth who may be feeling devalued, unseen, unheard, unwanted or disconnected from others; feeling stuck and sinking and can’t seem to do anything right and not sure if their life matters. These feelings may be expressed in anger, loneliness, social and/or emotional isolation, lack of motivation, confusion and helplessness. I will be on their team providing guidance and direction to process through the demoralizing emotions and feel more socially and emotionally connected with confidence. We will develop strength and insight to navigate family, educational and social systems with courage and competence.

I will create a space where one can relax, take a few breaths with sensitivity and fun so they can imagine what they want their life to look and feel like. I believe we all experience developmental milestones and need to celebrate overcoming them. I use a strength-based approach with includes reflection, sometimes reframing, learning to know feelings are powerful, but that they are not facts. We will start with a few goals and create steps to reach them while monitoring progress. I will also educate about brain development and help recognize what part of the brain is working and making the rational, insightful, problem-solving part stronger. Some of the theorists I emulate are Adler, Skinner, Piaget, Jung, Erickson, Bandura and Beck. I utilize a multimodal approach, with the client as the co-captain, that includes family sessions, collaboration with colleagues, and medicine if agreed upon by the team.

I am honored and privileged that you want to work with me to discover your social, emotional and cognitive strengths, and to develop stamina to overcome that are get in the way of you understanding your complicated emotions and experiences that impede your healthy progress. I take a faith-based approach to counseling, meaning I have faith in you and me to help you experience feeling cared about, connected and confident, having facts to reinforce the positive strong emotions.  I am on your team and we will see progress through hard work, some fun and humor, warmth and acceptance. Life is a mystery for all of us and I will assist you find your unique powerful role in it.